Staple feed and fastening apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for feeding staples in a cartridge form from a magazine storage toward a stapling head assembly which then strips the staples one at a time and drives them into engagement with sheet material so as to cause fastening thereof. A feed mechanism loads each cartridge against a stapling head device before the drive stroke of the head assembly through an energy storage device.

United States Patent Rochester, N.Y.

Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee STAPLE FEED AND FASTENING APPARATUS 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 227/120, 227/ 1 3] Int. Cl B27! 7/24 Field of Search 227/120, 131, 138

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,65l,775 9/1953 Sasser 227/131 2,652,563 9/1953 Leibowitz 227/l3l 3,189,220 6/1955 Mullaney 227/120 X Primary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, Jr.

Attorneys-James .i. Ralabate, Norman E. Schrader and Melvin A. Klein $51! threes! n energy ews? device 7 PATENTEnunv 23 I97! 3, 622,061

SHEET 1 OF 3 I 64 g 4 MT- lmm l M Ii IllIllIlllIllllll ji I 00 .a l

FIG.

INVENTORS AUGUST HOYER KARL E. LIECHTY MAW ATTORNEY PATENTEnuuv 23 an 3, 622.061

SHEET 2 UF 3 head which drives the staples into a fastening position in a continuous manner automatically.

It is well known to use preformed staples in a cartridge form 'for fastening sheet material as described, for example, in US.

Pat. No. 3,l89,220. With the ever increasing volume of documentation generated by present day infonnation duplication and storage and retrieval systems, the need for improved stapling mechanisms is quite apparent. While the existing mechanisms are satisfactory, it is greatly desirable to perform stapling as rapidly and as long as possible without reloading or interrupting the stapling operation.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve the feeding and fastening of staples.

Another object of the present invention is to enable feeding cartridges of preformed staples in rapid succession toward a stapling head automatically and continuously.

Another of the present invention is to cause multiple cartridges of preformed staples stored in a magazine to be fed in a path in predetermined increments toward a stapling head without interruption.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a unified and simplified construction for feeding staple cartridges toward a stapling head which drives the staples into engagement with sheet material automatically and continuously.

These objects as well as others are accomplished in accordance with the present invention, generally speaking, by feeding cartridges one at a time from a magazine storage onto a drive belt having cogs spaced at predetermined intervals and which is driven by the intermittent action of the stapler head through a unique drive which advances each cartridge a staple at a time and closes any gaps between succeeding cartridges whereby a continuous feeding action is maintained on the cartridges supplied from the magazine storage.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a side sectional view of the staple feed and fastening apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a right hand end view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating details of the stapling head assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1 illustrating certain details of the driving mechanism according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the staple feed and fasting apparatus, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a linkage assembly associated with the driving mechanism taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown staple feed and fastening apparatus generally designated which stores sticks 12 of preformed staples in a magazine 14 and delivers the sticks one at a time toward a stapling head assembly 16 where individual staples in the sticks are separated from the sticks and driven into engagement with a suitable work piece such as a stack of sheets 18 to form a finished package. The staples are arranged in sticks or strips of adhesively secured staples in a well known manner. The feed operation of the sta ples toward the head assembly 16 is such that each staple in the stick can be advanced in succession for registration with the stapling head punch during its driving stroke as will become more apparent hereinafier.

The stapling head assembly l6 comprises a solenoid core member 30 which is received in a coil member 32 secured to the frame. Core member 30 is formed with a smaller diameter punch portion 33 which is encircled by a coil spring 34. When a stapling signal is received by coil member 32 from any suitable source as for example a switch actuated by sheets 18, the core member is moved downwardly against the action of spring 34 until a pin 36 on punch portion 33 engages the bot tom of a slot 38 formed in a ram member 40. Projecting from punch portion 33 is a driver member 35 which serves to strip one of the staples from stick 12 which is in feed position and feeds it into a head member 42 against a retainer member 43. Upon a continued actuation of the core member 30, engagement of pin 36 with the slot 38 formed in the ram member 40 causes the ram member to move downwardly which, in turn, causes the head member 42 to be moved through the action of compression springs 46 until contact is made with the sheets to be stapled. Upon continued actuation of the head member 42 in a downward direction, springs 46 are compressed and the staple carried in the head member is forced into the sheets 18 by drive member 35 and clinched by the action of an anvil 47 located in the frame below the sheets 18. After the staple has clamped the sheets downward motion of the ram member, drive member and head member ceases and is reversed through the action of a spring member 50 as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. At this point in time, the next staple of the stick is moved into a stapling position against head member 42 in a manner as will become more apparent.

Sticks 12 are fed from magazine M by the action of a spring 51 acting on the last stick so as to enable a positive feed to be provided on the stick at all times. The sticks are fed one at a time by a stick release mechanism 53 onto a belt of a stick feed mechanism 54 which feeds the sticks one staple at a time during the upward stroke of the staple head assembly. Stick release mechanism 53 comprises release members 55, 57 which are held in the normally closed position by a spring 59 until such time as the release members 55, 57 are urged outwardly against the action of spring 59 by a cam member 61 at a predetermined time when the next stick is to be fed by the stick feed mechanism 54. This is accomplished by a normally open switch 63 (FIG. 4) which closes when a stick is no longer positioned in the feed path to thereby actuate cam member 61 through a suitable drive as a motor 64 coupled to switch 63. After a stick has been released, the members 55, 57 retract thereby lifting the other sticks stacked in piggyback fashion in magazine 14 to a position out of contact with the drive mechanism 54.

Drive mechanism 54 comprises a drive belt 65 which is mounted on a drive pulley 67 and an idler pulley 69. Drive belt 65 has three or more cog portions 70 formed therein at predetermined intervals corresponding to the length of a stick and interval between sticks for a purpose to be described.

Drive pulley 67 is urged by a power spring 71 which is loaded through the action of a linkage assembly 75 which is actuated by drive member 35. Linkage assembly 75 is constructed such that sufficient energy is stored in power spring 71 to drive the stick l2 forward at least one staple thickness and to take slack between consecutive sticks being fed. To accomplish this, linkage assembly 75 comprises an actuating member 76 which drives a lever arm 77 through stud 77. Lever arm 77 is fixed to lever arm 78 on shaft 78 which in turn drives a crank member 79 through a link member connected by a pin 79' and a pin 80'. It will be noted that lever arm 78 is longer than lever arm 77 to obtain the stroke to load the power spring 71. By this arrangement, there is sufficient energy in power spring 71 to take up any slack between sticks on belt 65 as well as to urge the staples against the head member.

In order to ensure proper indexing movement to power spring 71, one way clutch 84 is used to drive the power spring through a sleeve member 85. Another one way clutch 87 is used to prevent sleevemember 85 from moving in a reverse direction thereby maintaining power spring 71 in a stored energy condition.

In operation, the drive mechanism 54 enables each stick to be loaded against head member 42 to ensure positive feed. By virtue of the storage of energy in power spring 71, each succeeding stick is moved into intimate contact with the end of a preceding stick segment. Repeated actuation of the stapling head causes sufficient energy to be stored in the drive spring 71 to advance the stick one staple at a time as well as to enable any slack between sticks to be taken up when necessary.

By the present invention, there is provided a new and improved stapling feed and fastening apparatus which feeds staples in stick form one at a time to a stapling head assembly for driving the staples into sheet material automatically and continuously. With this invention, it is possible to load multiple sticks in a magazine or bin and feed them one at a time by a feed mechanism without interruption to a stapling head for immediate use.

What is claimed is:

1. Feed and fastening apparatus for use with strips of detachably connected staples comprising means for storing strips of detachably connected staples in stacked relationship for feed along a determined path,

a feed belt located adjacent said storing means extending along the path at which the strips are to be fed,

release means associated with said storing means for releasing said strips onto said feed belt one at a time at predetermined intervals,

stapling head means positioned to engage staples of said strip one at a time as they are delivered along the feed path and driving the staple into engagement with sheet material in response to discrete electrical signals,

drive means associated with said stapling head means and said feed belt for advancing said belt in predetermined increments according to the action of said stapling head means whereby fastening of sheet material may be effected automatically and continuously,

said stapling head means including a solenoid actuated member operative to strip a staple and then insert said staple in a staple retaining member, and then fastening said staple into the aforementioned sheet material before said solenoid actuated member is returned to its original position, and

said drive means including a linkage engaging said stapling head means to impart an oscillating movement to a drive shaft through a power spring in response to the movement of said solenoid actuated member.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including clutch means associated with said power spring to enable an indexing movement of said power spring in a single direction only.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said feed belt is arranged with cog portions to engage the end most staple in the strip and advance the lead staple of said strip into loading relation with said stapling head means before the last staple of a preceding strip has been used. 

1. Feed and fastening apparatus for use with strips of detachably connected staples comprising means for storing strips of detachably connected staples in stacked relationship for feed along a determined path, a feed belt located adjacent said storing means extending along the path at which the strips are to be fed, release means associated with said storing means for releasing said strips onto said feed belt one at a time at predetermined intervals, stapling head means positioned to engage staples of said strip one at a time as they are delivered along the feed path and driving the staple into engagement with sheet material in response to discrete electrical signals, drive means associated with said stapling head means and said feed belt for advancing said belt in predetermined increments according to the action of said stapling head means whereby fastening of sheet material may be effected automatically and continuously, said stapling head means including a solenoid actuated member operative to strip a staple and then insert said staple in a staple retaining member, and then fastening said staple into the aforementioned sheet material before said solenoid actuated member is returned to its original position, and said drive means including a linkage engaging said stapling head means to impart an oscillating movement to a drive shaft through a power spring in response to the movement of said solenoid actuated member.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including clutch means associated with said power spring to enable an indexing movement of said power spring in a single direction only.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said feed belt is arranged with cog portions to engage the end most staple in the strip and advance the lead staple of said strip into loading relation with said stapling head means before the last staple of a preceding strip has been used. 